Integrated Infrastructure
York Region: World-class infrastructure for efficient business growth
The Regional Municipality of York is a confederation of nine municipalities.
The Region’s 2010 Budget is one of the largest in North America with spending of $3.5 billion for capital projects and $1.4 billion to maintain and operate York Region services.
The Region’s acclaimed Sustainability Strategy helps manage aggressive forecasted population growth with a balanced approach that better integrates the economy, environment and community.
Highly Integrated Transportation Network Provides Access to Worldwide Markets
Residents and businesses in York Region have unparalleled access to both North American and worldwide markets through a fully developed transportation network that includes air transport, port access and seaway shipping, modern rail-based intercity, freight movement, roads and commuter services.
York Region is well positioned with access to major world cities via direct flights from Pearson International Airport and same day business access to Europe with evening overlap to Asia.
Travel to New York, Chicago, Boston and other northeast American centres is 1.5 hours by air and an integrated transportation network links to US routes by road, rail and marine crossings.
Over 140 million consumers in Canada and the north eastern US are located within a one day drive of York Region, where an efficient road network connects seamlessly with provincially owned 400 series of high speed expressways and provides an integrated goods movement system.
Planning for our Future
By 2031, York Region’s population will reach 1.5 million living in 500,000 households and working in 780,000 jobs – this is a population increase of over 45 per cent versus today.
To meet the needs of future growth while ensuring the long term sustainability of our natural heritage, York Region has undertaken a series of initiatives that better integrate the economy, the environment and our community.
Investing in Infrastructure: City Building
York Region’s City Building program is an integrated approach that combines the planning of communities with the construction of new rapid transit lines, with the goal of creating places that locate homes, workplaces, shopping, and transit within walking distances of each other. City Building will:
- Create well designed communities
- Provide more choice in housing and transit
- Create opportunities for ideal business environments
- Focus on closer live/work opportunities
- Establish pedestrian-focused environments
- Protect, restore and enhance the environment
Investing in Transit
As part of the Region’s City Building program, Viva was launched in 2005. Viva is a modern bus rapid transit system that incorporates state-of-the-art vehicles, GPS tracking, greater frequency, fewer stops and off-board fare collection. Viva has been the catalyst for millions of square feet of mixed-use, transit-oriented development along its routes.
The next stage of development, VivaNext is a forward looking plan for a modern, efficient rapid transit network that will include a modern subway system and the construction of rapidways along major routes, allowing Viva rapid transit vehicles to move effortlessly past traffic congestion.
A Glimpse into the Future
These renderings provide a glimpse of the City Building vision.
